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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law